Beautiful thread and amazing vids Sdeidjs
And...If Mimik asks so nicely
, how can one not oblige and provide some further links?
There are soooo many beautiful songs that it's difficult to go thru all of them.
I’ll try to take it chronologically and explore a few.
1. I’ll start off with a Jacksons classic,
Can you feel it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW1fXL3s7bk
Actually, Michael’s socially engaging songs go back to the Motown days, even their Someday at Christmas can fit into all of this, but I would rather focus on the songs Michael conceived and performed as an adult. It is impressive though to realize that he’s had all that love and care in his heart from the very beginning and he has yet to lose it, in spite of the brutal strikes he got in the meantime.
2. A beautiful song and spellbinding performance of
Man in the mirror from the Grammys 88 when Mike stole the show from underneath my boys, U2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zpTQCQEFhg
Although he didn't write it, he made the song his. The passion, the adlibs, the wonderful " black man's gotta maka change/ the white man's gotta maka change"....just beautiful. I love this song soooo much, it is so empowering and inspiring. In a little book about Michael I bought in Spain back in 1997 they commented on the song being without a fault both from musical AND philosophical standpoints. It is in the same vein of thought as Mahatma Gandhi and Dr.King - be the change you want to see in the world. It was relevant in 1988, it remains relevant in 2009 and it will stay so until the end of time. Probably the most amazing lyric, one with which I identify every time I see someone begging, especially children or old people is “who am I to blind pretending not to see their need?"
3. THE greatest music video ever in my humble opinion -
Earth Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8muMo0fw_M
I still remember the first time I ever saw it on tv. It was around midnight on a Sunday, if my memory serves me right. Our public tv station had 3 from 1 - the MTV show; that one time it was dedicated to Michael and the last song they played was the newest at the time - Earth Song. I was in total awe, crying my little heart out (being 14 back then) whilst wondering how could people have done what they had two years before to such a gentle, kind, loving, beautiful soul of a man??? After recording the video, it became a habit of mine to watch it before going to school in the morning. Amazing how time flies by..... I actually still own the VCR with which I recorded the video. It is right next to the computer from where I'm typing right now. The play and rewind button covers are missing but it is, amazingly enough, after all these years still working. It is with this tiny, cheap, little VCR that I gathered a rather impressive video collection, from Michael’s videos, to footage of the trial to the Obama inaugural and other events/movies. During the trial, when I was living abroad I actually took to VCR along to record every report. I wouldn’t trade this little equipment for anything in the world.
4. The closure to the
HIStory concerts in such an inspiring mode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LAqcXaVVvM&feature=related
I actually remember this footage; it was during a special on Sat1, a German tv station. It’s quite funny actually when thinking about it – because of them and Michael I actually got to learn a bit of German. Michael held 10 concerts in Germany during the summer of 1997 and this tv station had a special section on their teletext dedicated to him, so I was sitting in front of the tv with a dictionary trying to decipher the latest news about the tour in Germany. This performance also brings about special memories from my own experience with the tour. It’s very comforting to know that soon, God willingly, I’ll see that wonderful man perform once again.
5. The end of Man in the mirror was somewhat taken over in
Cry, video similar to Heal the world and Man in Mirror where Michael need not make an appearance to prove such an important point. There were rumors that connected his absence to the Sony problems, but I actually love the video as it is, sucha beautiful message of people coming together. Interesting and moving additions by the fan…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqF2BFTU9Y4
6. Around the same time Cry was released this 9/11 performance of
What more can I give? took place
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qqUuzhGLt8
I remember hearing the feed of the concert online; the radio DJs were rather skeptical about Michael, but were silenced in their criticism/jokes and full of praises for him after he performed. Again, beautiful lyrics, inspiring melody and great collaborative effort of so many artists united by that tragedy. It’s too bad the song was not properly promoted.
7. Another great song and actually the most recent of Michael's humanitarian anthems is one with a fan made video -
We've had enough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvjy6MQr6fE
It’s quite a loss that there was no official release of the song or a video. It would have been interesting to see where Michael would have taken this visually, the stories in the song being heartbreaking and sooo evocative. Hopefully, he will include this song in the playlist for London. It wasn't on the list on mjlive.com, so I couldn't vote for it, but I would have 100000000 times. The lyrics, the passion, the delivery - every single note and word about this song are superbe, supreme craftmanship and exude humanity. Again, I was amazed, but not suprised by how much in touch with reality and connected to what really matters in life and on earth he was, especially at such a difficult time for him. He showed, once more, how spiritual he was and how deeply he cared for the world and the people in it, especially the victims of injustice.
These are just the anthems. I would also include here songs and videos like they don’t care about us, why you wanna trip on me, shout…..but maybe for another time, I’ve posted a novel already. I doubt anyone will have the patience to read through all this forrest. As Michael was saying in that Munchen concert where the History vid is from – I don’t like to talk thaaat much. Well, I don’t like to post that much, but look at what I’ve done – gettin’ lost on memory lane borin the day/nighttime outta yall with inconsequential memories and compensating in one long arse post for years of silence :innocent: It's downright scary to see how many details I remember, especially when comparing it all with my usual air-headedness (is that even an word?). I guess it all goes to prove the selective nature of memory.
Going back to the essence of the thread, Michael’s humanitarian/socially driven songs are among the most important reasons for which I love the man and his art. I know a lot of fans consider some of these songs sappy, corny and the rest of the adjectives one can find in that area,but I, like many others, believe they are treasures showing a beautiful soul sharing with the world a vision of peace, unity and harmony, while pointing out all the tragedies happening around us. All these songs and many others prove a constant record, throughout his career, as though a silver lining.
He was an environmentalist and a social campaigner long before it became fashionable.The man and the message have remained the same over the decades, the world changed and their perception of him, and unfortunately for all of us, most of the time for the worse. Hopefully things will start to change, I believe they already are.
I am really looking foreward to see where he will take us all next. If that message on the site is anything to go by, Michael has not lost his social fiber yet. I expect to see some more of his socially engaging songs, also I hope at some point in the future he will release all that wonderful classical music Janet spoke about and a deeper journey into his spiritual life would be wonderful as well. All of it accompanied by some nice, dance/baby making songs which don’t hurt either.
Cause it’s great to try and contribute to healing the world, but the most immediate fashion in which we can do that is to make babies. Some in the school of thought of Malthus would have it otherwise, but that’s another story….
Peace out and sorry for the length of the post, I doubt I’ll put on a repeat ‘performance’ anytime soon, but the topic was too tempting not to respond.
